Walz says his son Gus witnessed a shooting, which sparked Vance’s sympathy: NPR

This story first appeared on the NPR Network Live blog of the 2024 vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz. You can find the latest on the campaign here: Go to NPR’s election page.

Gov. Tim Walz said at Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate that his son Gus witnessed a shooting, a confession that visibly surprised and saddened his opponent, JD Vance, on stage.

“I have a 17-year-old who witnessed a shooting at a community center while he was playing volleyball,” Walz said.

“This is terrible,” Vance muttered, shaking his head.

Video credit: Vice President Debate from CBS News.

Both candidates condemned the epidemic of school shootings — and said they agreed on it — but offered different solutions for dealing with the situation. Vance spoke about improving physical security measures while Walz focused on gun control legislation.

When it was Vance’s turn to answer, he turned directly to Walz.

“Tim, first of all, I didn’t know your 17-year-old was a witness to a shooting, and I’m sorry for that and I hope he’s OK,” he said. “Christ have mercy, it’s terrible.”

“I appreciate you saying that,” Walz replied.